Posted on 06/23/2009 2:49:12 PM PDT by fiodora
With as many as 20,000 people in attendance, the Atlanta Tea Party on April 15 was one of the largest and most successful Tea Parties in the country. The Atlanta Tea Party on July 4, 2009 had been expected to be just as large. Unfortunately, plans have changed. Simon Property Group has forced the cancellation of the Atlanta Tea Party.
The Atlanta Tea Party was forced to cancel its Independence Day celebration in Gwinnett, after losing its location due to the objection of Gwinnett Place Mall (a Simon company.) The Tea Party had been scheduled to take place in the parking lot of the old Macy's building at Gwinnett Place since March.
"It is unfortunate the event had to be canceled," said Julianne Thompson, event co-organizer. She continued, "The old Macy's building is on private property, and not owned by Simon Malls, however the mall manager asked the property owner and I to come in the office on Thursday of this week [June 18], and told us Simon does not want political events on its property. They were also concerned about the fact we were using the term 'protest.' Although the event was on private property, the mall was able to assert authority on the matter due to reciprocal property easement agreements."
Event Co-Chair Debbie Dooley stated, "Our Atlanta Tea Party team tried for the next day and a half to find an alternative location large enough for the event, and with the proper layout for our vendors, children's activities, and fireworks show, but we could not find anything suitable that would have been available on July 4th.
With just a few days left until the Fourth of July Tea Parties begin, this is very unfortunate timing! One wonders why Simon Property Group waited until now to interfere.
Liberal Atlanta paper's snarky reaction.
Following the money, connecting the dots:
1. Gwinnett Place Mall shut down the Atlanta Tea Party. 2. Simon Property Group owns Gwinnett Place Mall. 3. Melvin Simon (a Forbes 400 billionaire) is Co-chairman of Simon Property Group, Inc. 4. Melvin Simon has provided large political contributions to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, John Edwards, the DNC and many other Democrats and Democrat organizations. 5. Melvin Simon was a major contributor to Barack Obama inaugural committee and has given at least $1 million to the William J. Clinton foundation. 6. Melvin's wife, Bren, personally donated almost $100,000 to various political candidates, was a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, and contributed to President Obama's inaugural committee.
Contact: Simon Properties
Wow, I guess if Hussein wanted to use it then they’d say no, too.
Our Tea Party in Jacksonville FL was also in a mall and I’d bet a lot of others were,too. I suspect this won’t be the first “cancellation.”
That’s outrageous!!!
Do it anyway. What are they going to do, arrest 20k plus people for protesting? DO IT!
Oh, but if it were a pro-Obama demonstration, then it would be welcomed with open arms!
I mean, this happening in a CONSERVATIVE state like Georgia????
I think Atlanta ought to plan a tea party somewhere on that day, whether it can get a site to do all they want or not.....they are fools to just give it all up.
What if everyone went there anyway and started walking around with signs?
Every single fireworks celebration should be a tea party.
Too bad, but we’re playing a bit of an ‘outrageous sense of entitlement’ game to expect someone completely opposed to a political event to allow his private property to be used.
Dont any Conservatives own anything anymore? I kind of feel like we became the dirt-poor party of beggers when I wasnt paying attention.
Protest the owner.
“Melvin Simon is an A$$h0l3”
Apparently, the Gwinnett Place Mall's merchants are making so much money, they don't need any of my family's hard-earned cash. Good for them.
Conservative in all areas except metro Atlanta. Especially the limousine liberal area of Gwinnet county.
Totally agree.
I would have been surprised - no, shocked - if this went through with no resistance from opposing political interests.
Atlanta ain't exactly a conservative city.
“I think Atlanta ought to plan a tea party somewhere on that day”
Indeed, we have been invited to join up with the Cobb County group at a park.
This is part of the media pushed narrative that says all Republicans are filthy rich, white guys.
In fact, those are the Democrat's biggest donors. Barack Obama didn't build his war chest with small, everyman contributions, as is frequently repeated by his media co-conspirators. He raised record amounts of cash from the super-rich, and their bundlers.
Well, here’s a solution. All of those who were going to participate in the tea party should go to the mall. Walk through the area, sit on benches, window shop in the stores... but spend no money!
Opps, my mistake for not reading the last paragraph on their donations before I posted.
I am going to have to look for one near me.....I live in the boonies so that might be a little difficult. Haven’t heard of any yet.
I live in the North Atlanta suburbs. And, even in the 10 years I've lived there, I've seen the erosion of Republican support because of the New England/New York transplants moving to escape their formerly oppressive tax systems, only to vote in overly burdensome taxes in Georgia's Fulton and Gwinnet counties.
I saw more Obama signs in my neighborhood than McCain.
Restoring America Conference - North Atlanta
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277796/posts
Speakers: David Limbaugh, Lt. Col. Oliver North, Lt. Col. Steve Russell,...
Google on something to the effect of “Mel Simon political contributions”. The guy is a very heavy Democrat hitter. The only nominal Republican he ever contributes to is Rino Dick Lugar.
Hmmmm . . . 20,000 people next door to the mall on a scorching July day? How many people do you think are going to stop in at that desolate mall to get drinks, a hat, lunch, a snack, a children’s toy to keep them occupied, then browse to avoid the heat for a while, buying something they never intended to?
Apparently, the Simon Group does not want a massive group of potential cusomers next door.
If I were a merchant who rented space there, I’d be ballistic.
Yes, the further North you went, the more Obama signs you saw. Most don’t want to be associated with the hicks that they imagine all of us are.
I will never understand why they move to escape taxes only to vote higher taxes in where they move.
Sometimes I wish we never got the Olympics.
Hey don’t they own the Indiana Pacers??? Look where they are in the standings!!
WAKE UP PEOPLE! The tea parties, the original ones, were ILLEGAL.
The Constitution guarantees the right to gather and petition the government. Kowtowing to little Hitlers like this is not a fitting response for an organization that aims to reclaim America.
It’s going to take a LOT MORE disobedience to “laws” then just showing up in a park somewhere to throw the evil leftist scum off our backs and regain our freedom and liberty.
MAN UP, PEOPLE!
This is purely unscientific, but I've noticed that the transplants from the Midwest (of which, I am one) tend to be more conservative, church-going Republicans. But, the most rabidly supportive of Dems and Obama seem to all hail from the NY/NE area, at least in my neighborhood.
We had a dinner party a few months ago, and one of the more vocal Obama supporters was railing about how "hillbilly" the GOP had become etc etc. Then, after I asked him why he moved to Georgia if he couldn't stand the "hillbillies", he said because the New York taxes were killing him. The irony was lost on him.
Well, they don't own car dealerships anymore. Obama took them away, and gave it all to his friends.
And let's not forget those illegal foreign donations he received and the information they refused to give the FCC.
A strange story:
1. What agreements did the organizers have that made them think everything was arranged?
2. On what date did they think they had definite agreements to use the location?
3. What time lapse before this cancellation?
4. Seems if they ever had an agreement, this late cancellation would not be possible.
Strange to have the location for a fairly major event cancelled only ten or so days before the event.
Time for conservatives to make more use of the boycott.
Technically, the way I read it, his property is NOT being used. He is objecting to a use on property where he has a shared easement right.
He's on strong footing, but he's also being a dink, and it's worth pointing out he is controlling a space that is not exclusively his to control. It's a quasi-public space.
the event was on private property [not Simon's], the mall was able to assert authority on the matter due to reciprocal property easement agreements.
>>>> Technically, the way I read it, his property is NOT being used. <<<<<
Whatever rights he has are sufficient to stop the event.
Yep! What would a_hole sharpton do in a case like this?
Do it!
Is there an echo in here? I said basically that - he's on strong [legal] footing. My subsequent point was that it's worth pointing out he's controlling SHARED space, not HIS space; and one of the other owners of the SHARED space "granted permission" (that wasn't theirs to grant).
My objection was to the shorthand, "it's his property."
I heard that all the monkey houses in zoos were to be closed until further notice — is that true or just a rumor?
*swipe!*
I think people who care should let Simon Group know their feelings by avoiding their malls for a while. In Atlanta they own Town Center Mall, Phipps Plaza, Lenox Mall, Gwinnett Place Mall, Mall of Georgia, Discover Mills, and Northlake Mall.
I will be avoiding these places for some time. I like Perimeter Mall better anyway.
That is in Forsyth County. Gwinnett Mall is in Gwinnett County, which is heavily Democratic and overrun with illegals and the crime that they bring with them. The store they are talking about has been empty for years, ever since Macys bought out Rich's. Gwinnett Mall used to have both stores, they closed the Macys and renamed the Rich's to Macys. There also used to be a Parisian at that mall, it has been replaced by a Belks. It used to be a nice place to go but the changing demographics plus the building of the Mall of Georgia a few miles further north has really hurt their business. I'm surprised they didn't shut the entire place down a long time ago.
Parts of Gwinnett County, the northern and northwestern parts in particular, are still very nice. The closer they get to Atlanta, however, the worse it gets.
2. George Thorndyke, the owner of the property in question, had agreed to allow the Atlanta Tea Party to use his property free of charge and had gone an extra step in sponsoring fireworks.
3. Although the event was to have occurred on private property not owned by Simon Property Group, the mall was able to assert authority on the matter due to reciprocal property easement agreements. The people upset about this story understand that. But they're not happy with the 11th hour interference.
You are correct. Millions of dollars.
This can’t be. Obama himself said today on the topic of Iran, that he supports the universal right to dissent. Heard him myself, so it must be true.
Well, the truth is, if you want to protest, you don’t ask the people you are protesting to use their property.
You hit the streets like the folks in Iran.
All of this planning is absurd.
BTTT! Yes
Perimeter and North Point are my malls of choice, in that rare occasion I'm actually compelled to go to the mall - I leave virtually all maters shopping related to my wife.
Wow what a command of the English language! - (news anchor material)
STOP BEING WUSSES!! Remember, that while nice, it is not about vendors, childrens activities, or fireworks shows.It is about spending, taxes, and government control. Do what we do here in Sacramento, go straight to the State Capitol Building. Hold it from 10 am to 1 pm. That way people can still enjoy Holiday festivities with their families. STOP WHINING, TAKE ACTION!!
Instead of trying to organize these events on private property, why not on public property? Don’t we still have that right?
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